It's The End of the World As We Know It: The New World Order

Former President George H. W. Bush is often credited with coining the term, "New World Order."  This is because of a rather chilling statement he made during multiple speeches.  You can view the video here:

The phrase, however, was not coined by President Bush.  Rather, it has been part of the Great Seal of the United States since 1782, and engraved on the back of our one dollar bill since 1935.  You can see for yourself.  Grab a dollar bill and look on the back.  See the pyramid with the eye floating above it?  Underneath the pyramid is a Latin phrase that reads:  "Novus Ordo Seclorum."  The phrase, literally translated, means "New Order of the Ages," but it refers to a new age of the entire world.  So the interpretation of it (as opposed to the translation) would be "New World Order."

Since 1782.  How about that?  We weren't even officially recognized as a country until 1783 when we signed the treaty with Britain, granting us the status of an independent nation.  Before we were even born as a country, America was being heralded as the harbinger of the New World Order.  Furthermore, in 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression, when America's economic system had all but collapsed, our government decided to put the phrase on our smallest denomination as a daily reminder of what America was supposed to be.

And if you think this sounds sinister, that's because it is.  When we read in the Scriptures about the coming one-world system, it is sinister.  Check out what the book of Revelation has to say about "the Beast" who is to rule this system:

And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.  He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. . . One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.  The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.  Men worshiped the dragon [see 12:1 - 13:1] because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast?  Who can make war against him?"

The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise authority for forty-two months.  He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven.  He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.  And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.  All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world (13:1; 3-8).

So right off the bat, something is up.  This guy - whoever he will be (or is) - died, and then came back to life.

Dude was dead, but he gets back up.  And who gives him this authority and power?  It isn't Jesus, the True Resurrection.  It's Satan.  The Devil.  Lucifer.  Baphomet.  He goes by many names, but the end result is the same:  death and destruction.  His will is to be worshiped, and that is exactly what he institutes, a religion in which everyone on earth worships him:  Men worshiped the dragon, because he had given authority to the beast [and] . . . all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast.

Therefore, the first thing we see about this New World Order is that it will have one religion, a religion devoted to the worship of Satan and his puppet, "the beast."  There are many people today who are attempting to do away with religion altogether, but this is impossible.  Why?  Because, as human beings, we were created for worship.  Now, obviously, we should worship God, but all of us find numerous other things to worship, and we don't have to be "religious" to worship.  For many atheists, as an example, science is their god.  They believe science will heal our diseases, solve our problems, and give us all of the answers (Shermer, 186-187).

Even those who claim not to believe in God still believe in a god.

And so we will never be able to do away with worship, no matter how hard some may try.  What will happen, instead, is all of the major religions will consolidate into one religion, a religion that worships a resurrected imposter.  And lest we think this time will be a peaceful time of co-existence, notice the end of the passage:  "He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them."  Conquer does not mean to win at chess.

We know from elsewhere in the book that he institutes the beheading (20:4) of those who refuse to worship him.  It's like ISIS, but worse, because this isn't a terrorist organization that can be fought and stopped, but a government that has written this behavior into law.  So we know that this New World Order will alter and enforce a Satanic religion, but it will also alter and enforce the world economy.  Check out Revelation 13:11-18:

Then I saw a second beast coming out of the earth.  It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.  It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.  And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.  Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth.  It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the first beast who was wounded by the sword, and yet lived.  The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.  It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

This calls for wisdom.  Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.  That number is 666.

Just about everyone is familiar with the number "666," but I'm not going to go into its possible meanings in this post.  What I am going to address is the fact that there is no buying or selling without it.  You want to eat?  You have to use this mark.  Want to run a business?  Use the mark.  Want to pay your mortgage or rent?  Use the mark.  Want to collect someone's mortgage or rent?  Mark.  But here's the deal:  taking the mark is tantamount to worshiping this Satanic ruler.  To take the mark means to buy into the system of the world that is following Satan.

"If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of His wrath.  They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.  And the smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever.  There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for those who receive the mark of its name" (Revelation 14:9-11).

To take the mark means to pursue life on earth to the detriment of your eternity.  It makes Jesus' words in Matthew 6 all the more sobering:  "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal.  But rather store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, which neither moth nor rust can destroy, and thieves cannot steal" (19-20). This means that one day you will have to choose:  do you follow Jesus, or everything else?  And, frankly, since you don't know when this is coming, you should probably choose now, rather than wait and see.

The New World Order is being touted as the best possible thing for humanity.  George Bush pushed for it, Bill Clinton pushed for it (Hillary is following suit), George W. Bush pushed for it, the Pope is pushing for it, the last two Popes pushed for it, and Obama is pushing for it, among many other world leaders.  They are promising peace and prosperity, but it is actually going to be enslavement and death.  For those who accept it, it will enslave and eventually kill; for those who reject it, it will bring about a swift death.

Doesn't sound like something we want to institute, does it?  But it is coming.  Now, it's possible that this can be delayed.  There are numerous times where God's judgment was stayed by the repentance and obedience of His people, and the repentance and obedience of those who were not yet His people.  The book of Jonah is a clear example of this:  God sent Jonah to Ninevah in order to preach His coming wrath.  Jonah did (after a slight detour), and Ninevah repented.  God's judgment was delayed as a result.  Here's the deal, though:  I'm not sure whether or not this is a similar case.

Nowhere in the Bible do we see this as a possibility.  Daniel does not mention it, Zechariah and Ezekiel do not mention it, the writings of Paul and Peter do not mention it, Jesus does not mention it, and Revelation does not mention it.  God is God, and He can do what He wants, so it's possible that if His people, who are called by His name, humble themselves and seek Him, He will heal our lands and stay His hand.  It's possible.  But regardless of whether or not He delays, the New World Order will eventually arise, and it will not be the peaceful and prosperous society everyone expects and wants it to be.  Think of a Global Nazi Germany.  But for those who do buy into it, it won't be a happy ending.

So for those of you who are followers of Jesus, pray for healing.  Repent of your sins.  Preach the Gospel.  Introduce as many people to Jesus as you possibly can, because whether or not this comes today, tomorrow, or a thousand years from now, Jesus is the only person Who can truly save the world.  He's already died for it, people just need to trust that.  And if you don't follow Jesus, start.  It's scary stuff here for those who don't know Jesus, but for those of us who do, we have a peace and assurance that nothing on earth can take away.  If you don't know how to follow Jesus, ask me.  Leave a comment below, and I'd love to hear about it and help you on this journey! 

 

Poverty in America

There's been an enormous amount of talk about "poverty" here in America as of late.  Our President mentions it every time there's a riot.  Candidate Bernie Sanders has said something to the effect that no one who works forty hours a week should live in poverty.  People cry out that we should bring an end to poverty, to level the playing field - that our government should bring an end to poverty.  But here in America, I think we forget what poverty actually is.

And as a result I think we have forgotten what luxury is, too.

Now, I understand there are people who work hard - sometimes two or three jobs - have very little, and still wonder how they are going to make rent this month.  If that's you, I'm not talking to you today.

There are single mothers who simply can't afford to send their children to special clubs after school, and so they don't.  I'm not talking to you, either.  All across this nation, there are people who are homeless, who have next-to-nothing, and it's not their fault.  I'm not talking to them, either.

I'm talking, instead, to those who waste money and claim poverty.  And before people start telling me that this is a Republican lie, let me shut you down now:  first, I'm NOT a Republican.  Second, I witnessed this firsthand.  In my half-a-decade as a banker, I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of people who fit into one (or both) of these two categories.

I had a woman come into the bank, in tears, because her rent check bounced.  Well, yes, it bounced, because she had spent that money on booze, a big screen television, and a $120 nail job.  None of this, of course, was her fault, because she just had to have these things, and wasn't there anything I could do to - I don't know - manifest money out of thin air so she could have a place to live?  She didn't ask that, but that's what she wanted me to do.  She wanted me to make sure her check got paid, but she wasn't willing to put money in the bank in order to cover it.  She was - her words, not mine - too broke.

This isn't poverty.  Getting your nails done is not an essential of life.  Having a television is not even an essential of life. And a fifth of whiskey - though it might make you feel better temporarily - won't pay the rent.

Here's an idea:  go without a television for a while.  If you have to choose between providing a roof for your children, or watching your favorite show on a 60-inch screen, I'd go with the roof.  Besides, how are you going to watch that t.v. when you're homeless?

This woman wasn't poor because some business owner was a jerk.  She wasn't facing eviction because some Republican refused to pass a law preventing it.  She wasn't even poor because of her ethnicity.  She was poor because she wasted her money on luxuries, thinking they were necessities.

Then there was the man who couldn't feed his kids for the next two weeks.  Poor starving kids:  Daddy works night shift and still can't feed you!  What a horrible company he must work for!

It was either that, or the $1,500 dollars he spent the week before at a popular resort.  For a two night stay.  Yes, four people, $750 a night.

Look, if you have to choose between groceries or an expensive weekend getaway, go with the groceries.  That's not political, folks, that's just common sense.  If you are at a point where you skip vacations for a while, so what?  Stay home, take the kids to the zoo one day, maybe go to a FREE park another day, and, guess what, that will still leave you $1,400 to feed your kids for the next two weeks.

But, Charles, what if he hadn't taken his kids on vacation in several years?  Wouldn't that be unfair to make them wait?  No, it wouldn't.  Vacations are a luxury.  Expensive vacations are a big luxury.  Eating is neither.

Let me clear something up real quick:  I am against neither vacations, nor stuff.  I'm not against televisions, or movies . . . I'm not even against alcohol.  What I am against are people who complain about how they are too poor to support their families, and yet they seem to find enough money to buy all of the latest gadgets, all of the newest, trendiest clothes, the most expensive car, and think nothing of dropping four dollars a day on coffee.  Folks, if you make enough money to afford all of that, then you're doing a thousand times better than most of the world.

And that is, ultimately, my point.  In many parts of the world, a "home" is a piece of tin over a couple of plywood boards.  Literally.  I have a friend who is from Bangladesh and I've seen pictures.  Do you own a car?  Then you are "ahead" of roughly 86% of the world's population (according to a 2007 paper from NYU).  In the same paper, America makes up roughly 28% of total car ownership in the world.

Our definition of poverty is skewed.  We have this attitude that we are entitled to whatever we want, whenever we want it, and it's been going on for decades.  How's that working out for everyone?  Yes, there is poverty, yes, there is homelessness, and yes, there is a great deal that needs to be done to help people, but the majority of "impoverished" people aren't really impoverished, they're just wasteful. 

"But I can't pay my mortgage!"  Shouldn't buy a new video game system every time it comes out.  "But then my kids won't be like their friends!"  I know.  Your kids will actually have money.  Now your kids are just like their friends:  they all got broke parents.

"But Captain America's got a new movie coming out!"  I know.  And eight months after that, it'll be on DVD.  You can wait.

"But I gotta have my coffee in the morning."  Yeah, you keep paying four bucks a day.  I'm going to keep drinking my $0.28 cup of coffee and keep living in my home. 

"But I promised them we'd go to Disney before 2016!"  Shouldn't promise your kids something you can't afford.

"My phone needed upgrading!"  Why?  Because it wouldn't load your snapchat pictures fast enough?

We need to wake up, folks.  I'm just spit-balling a number here, but I would venture to guess that about 75% of my "broke" clients weren't broke, they just wasted their money on frivolous things.  Phones are good.  I have a smartphone.  Guess what?  It's also the second phone I've ever owned.  I had the first one for nine years, and it was the exact opposite of a smartphone.  It was more like a Forrest Gump phone.  It sent and received calls.  That's it - and it barely did even that.  Some of you who claim poverty are out there buying a new phone every year.  Stop doing that.

My wife and I don't have a fancy cable package.  We get local channels, C-Span, and the Home Shopping Network.  I don't need to watch Duck Dynasty, and we're not trying to keep up with any of the Kardashians, so we don't pay extra to get those channels; we've found other things to do. 

My last car was driven, almost, into the ground.  It was rusted through, burned through oil, and rattled when it idled (that part was actually kind of nice, because it was like sitting in one of those massage chairs).  Why did I wait so long to replace it?  Because it took twelve years to save up for a new one.

I haven't bought a new book in years, but my daughter and I go to the library every week.  Because, you know, libraries are free.

Now, none of this is meant to be a bragging session, as in, "Look how little we spend!"  But it is meant to show that it can be done.  Your kids don't need everything the world has to offer, but they do need to learn discipline and self-control.

Jesus said, "Don't store up treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20).  Sound advice.  Of course, the core of the issue is in verse 21:  "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be."

If we live for and worship the things that are temporary, then when we stand before God, we're not going to know Him.  And all of our stuff, all of the vacations, all of the frivolous things upon which we spent our money, will be long-gone and we will have nothing left to show for ourselves.

And then we will hear the most frightening words possible:  the Creator of the universe is going to look at us and say, "Depart from Me, because I never knew you."

And, folks, you can't take your television to Hell.